R.A.D.I.C.A.L. Thoughts

"It's important to learn to listen to ourselves. Most of us learn to tune ourselves out. ... Tuning in again takes practice; we have to encourage ourselves to speak up. If we've stopped listening to our own voice for a long time, that voice may be very faint; it may have half given up."
How to Be Your Own Best Friend

As women, sometimes we talk a lot, but we don't speak up enough. We talk under the radar. We feel as though we don't have as much right to be taken seriously. I think in my generation's culture, we were sometimes not encouraged to value our own voice enough and to give more attention to what others wanted us to say. During my own marriage, I tended to put some of my own desires in the background either to keep the peace or because I was not as confident in their importance as I should have been. Through this divorce journey one of the good things I have learned is that I need to be bold enough to speak out. I don't have to be unkind or arrogant or pushy, but I do need to be confident that my thoughts and ideas have as much credence as anyone else's. There is a fine line of give and take in all conversations, but as women on the road to a better, brighter life, lets all listen to ourselves and speak up when we should. We have valuable lessons to pass on. We have helpful insights to share. We've been given a voice ... now let's use it for our own good and the good of others.

"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer."
Psalm 19:14 (NIV)
P.S. I am going to put a very funny clip on this topic on the RadicalWomenNetwork.com site in the next day or two. Check it out. It is hilarious!